Rail joint



Aug. 21, 1956 J. w. M DONALD RAIL JOINT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1953 INVENTOR James flac o aecl ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21, 1956 J. w. M DONALD RAIL JOINT Filed May 18. 1953 HHH 4 i d L F I I x m\ N w llllllllllllllllll 1 1 III! I l l I I i l I l l l l Y INVENTOR a/a mes W Nae DorzaZc/ AT ORNEY United States Patent RAIL JOINT James Wilbert MacDonald, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Application May 18, 1953, Serial No. 355,758

1 Claim. (Cl. 238-225) This invention relates to jointing devices for rails.

It is common in laying railroads to secure abutting rails by means of flat plates, usually known as fish plates, which fiat plates are bolted to the rail ends. Joints of this type are troublesome to make, are not particularly strong, and permit the said rail ends to sink beneath the weight of passing trains, thus causing premature failure of the said bolts and a noisy jolting passage for the train.

I propose to overcome these disadvantages by providing a rail jointing member adapted to receive abutting rail ends which have been adapted in a cooperating manner. The proposed member provides a strong rigid support for the rail ends, a smoother running surface for the train wheels, and obviates the need for fish plates and associated hardware.

With these and other objects in view which may appear While the description proceeds the invention consists in the novel arrangement of cooperating parts shown in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rail end adapted for engagement with the embodiment;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a rail junction employing this embodiment;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the rail junction of Fig. 3, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The structure illustrated in the drawings, in which similar reference characters are used throughout the several views, comprises a jointing member which is terminally adapted for engagement with the adjoining rails 11. It may be of any suitable cross section, but, in the form shown, is a section of rail having depending web or terminal portions 12, and a sole plate 13 which extends thereunder and beyond the said depending web portions. Notches 14 for securing spikes 15 are provided in the sides of the sole plate 13.

The depending web portions 12 each is adapted by cut-away sections or mortises 16 and 17 for engagement with tenons 18 and 19 which are formed in the ends of the rails 11. The tenons 18 and 19 may be of any suitable cross section, but, preferably, are downwardly extending rectangular tenons formed in the web of the said rails.

Fatemted Aug. 21, 1956 The sole plate 12 is provided, at its opposite ends, with recessed portions 20 in which rest the rails 11 to be joined.

In normal use, the jointing member 10 is suitably spiked to the rail ties, and tenoned ends of the rails 11 to be joined, are laid in position in the mortised terminations of the said jointing member, no fish plates and associated hardware being necessary. It is evident that the recessed portions 20 of the sole plate 13 of the jointing member 10, and the tenons 18 and 19 of the rails 11, will serve to lock the said rails against undesired lateral movement, while the tenons 16 will etfectively lock the said rails against longitudinal movement. Similarly it is apparent that the sole plate 13 will act as effective deterrent to vertically downward movement of the ends of the said rails.

It is believed that the construction and advantages of the structure shown may be apparent from the foregoing paragraphs taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings without further detailed description.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed it is understood that minor changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of cooperating parts may be resorted to within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A rail joint comprising a pair of rails having a head, web and sole with the head at the ends extending longitudinally beyond the web, spaced tenons depending from the extended head portions in longitudinal alinement with the web, said tenons being of less width than said Web and said web having its end beveled downwardly and rearwardly, a joint rail section having a head, web and sole with the web extending longitudinally beyond the ends of the head and the sole extending longitudinally beyond the ends of the web, the extended web portions having spaced mortises corresponding to the shape of said tenons formed in their top edges adapted to receive the tenons, the ends of said web being beveled downwardly and forwardly for engagement with the beveled ends of the webs of said rails and the extended sole portions having longitudinal recesses in their upperside opening through the ends adapted to receive the sole of the rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 741,313 Davis Oct. 13, 1903 765,028 Matusak July 12, 1904 838,101 Gilges Dec. 11, 1906 855,725 Neuhard June 14, 1907 880,384 Lewis Feb. 25, 1908 931,117 Hickson Aug. 17, 1909 1,224,857 Laskewitz May 1, 1917 1,366,845 Stewart Jan. 25, 1921 1,432,549 Hall Oct. 17, 1922 1,468,926 Smith Sept. 25, 1923 1,651,723 McCarty Dec. 6, 1927 

